Company/Organization
Jimmy John’s
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
We make delicious sandwiches with fresh ingredients, and we try to do it as freaky fast as we can! However more importantly, we focus on having a great culture that is inclusive, and a safe environment for all! There are definitely some long days (that can get crazy at times) but we work together as a team while having fun rocking out some sandwiches!
Age
33
Accomplishments
I have worked my way from a new hire, that didn’t know the menu, all the way up to one of the top positions in the company. I’ve also picked up some certifications/awards along the way;
-Certified Jimmy John’s Manager
-2014 Assistant Manager of the Year
-Certified Jimmy John’s Area Manager
-Ranked in the top 50 Stores in the Country for only having 3 complaints in a year, when I was a General Manager
-Perfect Bread Award
-2020 Best Places to Work in SWM Award
-Attended the 2022 Jimmy John’s Owners Convention in Atlanta, GA
-I have had the privilege of training many employees who have gone off to become General Managers of their own stores.
-I’m very blessed to have an amazing wife and daughter!!
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
Ultimately ownership of my own stores would be ideal, but only if it is what’s best for my family.
Education
-Graduated from Penn High School 2008
-Associates Degree from Grand Rapids Community College
-Jimmy School in Champagne Illinois
-I have also been able to take bad situations and look at them as learning opportunities. I encourage others to do the same as this has allowed me to grow as a manager and as a person immensely.
What Town Do You Reside In?
Shoreham Village
Where were you born?
Elkhart, IN
What was your first job?
Other than mowing yards as soon as I was old enough to push a mower, my first real job was at Yummy Pizza in Granger, IN. I was a pizza delivery driver/waiter.
Best advice you ever got?
“It doesn’t matter how you write your story, it doesn’t matter if people understand. You are not writing it for them you are writing it for yourself and for your family. This is just the beginning and it’s up to you where the story goes from here.”
Who inspires you most?
My wife Heidi, she has taken some of the worst news a person can get and, decided to still be positive. She used it to help and teach others. She is proud that she has had the opportunity to survive something that not many other people have experienced.
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I can play the piano pretty well, I have even composed a song or two.
What do you love to do in your downtime?
I love spending time with my daughter she is absolutely the best! I also very much enjoy playing on a slow pitch softball team for the Blue Roof Church!
What book are you reading now?
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy
Volunteer activity you love the most
Because of my very limited time away from work, I am very blessed to be in the position to donate food to organizations and schools. This way the volunteers and organizers are able to focus on their goals instead of worrying about another cost.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
Our children are truly the future, I feel as though people as a whole need to be better about spending quality time and nurturing the imaginations of our youth. I am thrilled to donate to programs that make our world better for them.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
This is an easy one because I think about it all of the time, Teleportation!
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I hope that I am able to change people’s mindsets to being more considerate of others and for them to give people the benefit of the doubt. We are so quick to judge people but, you truly never know what a person is dealing with. Myself for example, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 26, it has been a tough journey but you won’t ever know it. Having that diagnosis does not give me the right to be rude to others and to bring people down because I may be miserable. I choose kindness and grace. There are plenty of people dealing with much worse and just because you can’t tell that someone is hurting, does not mean they couldn’t use a little kindness. We are all in this together and nobody has it all figured out. Be nice!
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
This award means a great deal to me and I am very thankful. Throughout my years at JJ’s I’ve always worked for and with my employees. I never did it for the recognition. Now in my current position I work behind the scenes to make sure that the General Managers and their teams are set up so they can get the recognition they deserve. Sometimes my job can be thankless but, I know that I am making their lives and jobs a little bit easier. This award to me is the thank you and recognition for all of my hard work that most people will never see or notice, and that just means that I’m doing my job. To all of the people out there behind the scenes doing work we may never know or hear about just know, I see you. Thank You!
